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“Oh, Carlotta, have you seen Melody?” The beautiful redhead questioned her handmaid, who was staggering beneath a pile of clean towels.“I’m afraid not since this morning your Majesty.” Ariel sighed. Every year, never fails. “-but I’ll let you know the minute I find her!” She says running off to the servant’s quarters.“Remind me to tie her down next time.” She muttered lifting the heavy lavender material, making her way up the large marble staircase.Ariel knew there was only so much she could do now that her daughter had brought down the palace’s surrounding wall. Morgana was gone – well far enough from Atlantica. Everyday was the same: Get up; eat breakfast; ocean and home before dinner. Melody spent more time in the water than she did in her own room. Who could blame her? She considered herself an outcast.The queen had fought on end for the princess to attend Auradon Prep but neither she nor the council were keen on the idea. From the school’s point of view having another heir to the throne on campus worried them as it could potentially undermine the future King’s power. Much to her dismay, Melody was all too pleased, since having to socialise with the likes of Audrey Rose wasn’t going on the agenda anytime soon; not after the events of her fifteenth birthday out in the village fields. Poor Scuttle, he only wanted a sandwich.Looking down she admired the staff dashing around with the brightly coloured decorations trailing behind them. Red, it was always red with Melody. It had just about everyone dumbfounded. Her tail was no longer red, considering it was created on Morgana’s behalf, it was now a glistening gold under the trident’s power. But everything still had to be red.Placing a foot on the final step the woman felt one of her heel begin to buckle beneath her, instinctively she attempted to stay on her feet to no avail, reaching for the handrails she closes her eyes and hopes for the best, preparing her body for the solid impact.She feels a strong grip slide around her waist. “Eighteen years later and you’re still falling for me?”Ariel shows a sheepish grin as her husband pulls her towards him. “Grimsby was right, still can’t shake those flipper-feet.” He laughs watching as she pats down the wrinkles in the gown.“Says the man with two left-feet.”“Is that jealousy I smell?” Eric teases.Ariel playfully jabs him in the chest “No, that’s probably just Max.”The King lets a small chuckle escape “-any luck?”“None. I’ve searched this place high and low, Melody’s not in the building.”“Relax, I’m sure Sebastian’s keeping an eye on her.”“Not if she’s anything like me.” Ariel grumbles.The princess softly hums as she lays against the warm chest of her roguish pirate, soft waves hitting against the ship gently rock the couple laying on the plush mattress hidden within the captain’s quarters. Melody attentively watches as Harry tinkers with her golden locket hovering above them. “Stare at it all you want, but it’s not going to solve anything.”“She’s doon there hen, aw ah want tae dae is talk.”Peering up at him she bites her lip, “Maybe she’s scared Harry and, can you really blame her?”The young captain had been captivated with the prospect of reuniting with his mother once again, he didn’t know much about her, simply that she had once lived in Neverland’s Lagoon. Unfortunately, due to his father’s final reckoning with Pan himself, the Island was now a wasteland and the aforementioned residents were forced to migrate to the surrounding Kingdom’s. For the merfolk, Atlantica was their only point of refuge.The two had been working together for quite some time now, attempting to track the woman down but nothing had come of it in months.Melody rolled her eyes quickly snatching the chain from his grasp and carelessly throwing it to the wooden deck. “Eh, whit was that for?”“Look, no offence but I’d rather not spend my last day of freedom sulking over one of James Hook’s many ex-flings.” She said as a-matter-of-fact. “Now, where’s that bottle of red you promised?”Harry smirked adjusting his tousled, brown waves off to the side “I said rum princess, not red – does this look like the palace to you?” He shifts the blankets over his bare skin and reaches down for his trademark ripped jeans.“Well, no, that’s sort of the point.” She snaps pulling the scarlet covers up over her naked body as the cold sea breeze starts nipping at her skin. Hearing the small pop of the cork she begins surveying the surprisingly large room she notices plenty of Harry’s scattered trinkets hanging from the shelves in the far corners, things such as a map of Neverland in its prime; countless swords and a relatively unsettling clothing item thrown on the back of his chair. “You still keep your dad’s old coat?”There’s a slight change in Harry’s demeanour after she mentions the infamous man, a small flinch and Melody knew she’d crossed the line, even so; the captain wasn’t one for sentimental value. He had already finished pouring the drinks, but remained stiff. Peeking over the end of the bed a much as she could, the white in his knuckles forming was becoming more noticeable as he gripped at the wooden surface.Melody sighed lifting the pirate’s over-sized shirt from the dusty floor slipping it over her head, glancing to check on the pirate who had now let his head fall, holding back a strangled cry. Pacing across the room the young princess feels a sharp pang in her chest as she sees the true raw evidence of the boy’s upbringing. Scar after scar, burn after burn littered across once pure skin. Why did he hide this?The slender girl wraps her arms around his waist and gently presses her head his shoulder, ignoring the slight sicky texture from the sweaty back. Feeling the muscles tense beneath her suggesting a sense of panic, she soothes him. “Relax, he can’t hurt you anymore.”She’d never seen the typically narcotic captain so… vulnerable.Harry lets out a wounded choke, the two had never been for intimacy outside of pure sex nor relied on the other half emotionally. In that small way, maybe Harry was like his father, but he never considered the princess a mere toy; rather an escape and vise-versa. They became each-other’s clutch without even knowing it.Melody was stuck in the cross-road between living as a freak in her own kingdom and at risk of being shipped off to another for some prince, so she could simply bare children and stuff herself into even more tight dresses. Harry was a reminder of a carefree life she’d previously took for granted; whilst Melody was an image of what Harry always wanted. A family.Inhaling the sweet scents of tobacco and ginger radiating off him gave her a small sense of comfort as she held his body close.“He-he’s still in my head love, dead or alive the bastard’s still screwing with me!” He croaked.Peppering small kisses along the rugged boy’s back causing him to release a relaxed exhale letting his head falling back. He took her hands into his lightly squeezing them. “Harry, look at me.”Noticing a slight hesitation, she speaks again. “Please.”He slowly shifts in her hold, now hovering over the princess’ smaller frame, she cups his cheeks pulling their faces closer to one another, “Let me tell you something Hook, you will never be like him. “ She assures the pirate staring deeply into his pretty blue eyes would make any girl simply melt in his arms although, now hidden behind layers of bloodshot veins. “-and that’s okay.”“You won’t fall through the same cracks he did.”“-it’s my fault my little sister’s dead Mel, that’s on me. Not him, not Harriet. Me!”Harry’s blood runs cold as he catches the girl wince at the outburst.No, that’s the dark place; not the dark places. Memories begin flooding the boy’s train of thought, all the fighting, all the shouting, all the screaming. It was all coming back.Melody bit her lip as she notices the twenty-year-old’s grip getting tighter by the second, she realises that this once fearless, somewhat psychotic pirate was just a damaged child. That there really was a human being beneath that harsh exterior.Harry felt a sudden wash of relief feeling a familiar set of plump lips meet his.The kiss was so much more than the regular hungry and lustful rendezvous on the Isle’s coast once a week or the giggly entanglements whenever the couple had perhaps gone a little overboard on whatever the liquor cabinet had to offer This kiss, is was much slower and sensual. This one meant something.“-I-I didn’t know what else to do, so I pani-“The captain smirked cutting her off with another kiss, there was only a hint of uncertainty this time. She laughed against his lips, smiling fully into the kiss feeling every motion, every gesture created a passionate warmth hands groped at her thighs motioning to lift Melody. The moment grew much hungrier as the realisation hit, they cared about one another, but they’d reached breaking point.Each squeeze and pull told a story of desperation, after this the princess and the pirate would return to their roles as a criminal and a trophy-wife.As Harry lead the two back over to the canopy bed, small patters could be heard outside. Melody pulls back.“I thought you said the crew were gone for the day.”“-they are! As if I’m gonna let them see the crown jewels in action.” He joked pinching at her arse.She rolls her eyes jumping out of his arms.
Tap, Tap.
“There it is!”“Love, it’s probably just a wee bit of rain.”Tap, Tap.All of a sudden, a muffled squawking is heard followed by a shriek. Then a strange shadow appears in front of one small window. The princess turns to the pirate, “Duck.”“Whit?”“Just get down!” She exclaimed dropping to her knees, feeling a sharp pain from cold shock.As if on que, the glass panel swings open revealing both her old friend, Scuttle the seagull and her former supervisor, Sebastian hanging on to the bird’s feet for dear life. The two stumble into the room tossing around on the floor for a couple of seconds before regaining their bearings.“Young lady, you better have good explanation for being on this Island.” The small crab scolds her as she begins to pout at his typically reaction for not following orders. “Nice to see you too Sebastian.”Continuing to ramble, “Don’t you play dumb with me, ya hear. When your parents’ fin-“ “Relax Sebastian, I just come here when I want a little space, besides nobody knows I’m here.” She ponders, lies but it’s enough to stall a little longer.The porcelain seagull scratched his head muttering away, “She lives in a palace; what more space could she need?”“What are you hiding child?” Sebastian sneers.“Nothing! Really guys, everything’s fine here, nothing to hide! Not like there’s anyone else in here!”Accidentally cutting in before the crab, Melody glances over to Scuttle who is waddling around the captain’s quarters rather perplexed. “I don’t know sweetie, I feel like I’ve seen this place before.”Sebastian was meters from the crouching captain, the princess could already feel her breathing begin to hitch.“If there’s no-one else here…Then what’s with the swanky red coat?” Melody can’t help but wince as the Seagull knocks it to the floor.To make matters worse, a rough Scottish accent pikes up from behind the bed. There’s nothing but sheer rage behind his eyes. “Hands off it!”Noticing a flicker of light, Melody is quick to jump between the bird and the pirate placing her hands firmly on his bare-chest. “Leave him, now put the switchblade away.” She calms. “-Harry, he’s harmless.”Grumbling to himself, Harry wonders what it is with princesses and their affinity towards pestering animals. “Just sit, please.”He does so by throwing himself back onto the mattress.“Right, now let’s deal with this in a cautionary and ratio-“
“Melody!”
Mom. Fuck
“Screw it. Harry, get in the closet.”She watched as the pirate’s eyes widen, “You’ve got to be jokin’. Captain’s don’t do closets.”Narrowing her eyes, she left him and ultimatum. “It’s either the closet with the bird and the crab, or my father. Take your pick pirate?”“Who’s your dad?”“The guy who put Ursula on a skewer.”His eyes widen. “Prince Eric?” The feet shuffling on the deck were getting increasingly louder. “-wait you never told me you were a mermaid!”Melody ignores Harry’s comment and swiftly shoves him in the small space along with her two friends, making sure to lock the wooden door behind her. She throws on her beige skirt and heads for the exit.Only for her parents to meet her face to face.“Melody, open the door.”The princess begins to fumble under the pressure, lie to Sebastian? Sure; lie to Scuttle? Easy-peasy but lie to her parents? After what they’d already been through as a family was not an easy task, they knew each-other inside out.“Melody, if you don’t open the door, I will.” The mermaid felt a shiver crawling up the back of her spine, where was Mr. Pragmatic had her parents just magically switched personalities? Eric stood tall opposite his daughter, but the young girl still refused to move. “If you’d just listen, I’ll explain. You won’t even need to go in.”The king sighs loosening his grip on his blade. “Two minutes, or I’m moving you one way or another.”“Okay, just hear me out, the whole thing.” Ariel purses her lips as her daughter begins to slightly cower in front of the door. “Look, I’ve been helping one of the villain kids track down their mother whom supposedly lives in Atlantica.”“-so, you don’t even know! And yet you’re happily parading about with some criminal?” The queen exclaimed tightly crossing her arms. “I’m sorry okay, god forbid I did something productive with my life. But he’s not what you think.”“He? Melody you’re supposed to be getting married in three weeks do you have any idea what this could jeopardise?” Eric questioned, however it sounded more rhetorical than anything else. In the honest truth Eric nor Ariel were happy giving their daughter away but he didn’t have much option with a crumbling economy.“It’s not like that! C’mon you both know all about fighting for something you believe in, everyone and their mother has read your story, why won’t you let me have this?”“Because Melody, neither of us belonged to the Isle of the Lost.”“So, dad wasn’t exactly grandpa’s favourite person in the whole world; but look how that turned out.”The married couple share a glance before letting their eighteen-year-old continue. “Who, is he Melody?” the redhead braced herself for what might dare to unfold.
“His name is Harry, son of Captain Hook.”